Over 1,000 Trinis benefited from agricultural programme in Canada Originally printed at trinidadexpress/news/Over-1000-Trinis-benefited-from-agricultural-programme-in-Canada-285456121.html By Joel Julien December 11, 2014 THIS year, 1,015 Trinidad and Tobago nationals travelled to Canada to work on “agricultural holdings”, where they earned a cumulative total of more than $47 million as part of the Commonwealth/Caribbean Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Programme. One per cent of their earnings went to “compulsory savings” and was remitted to Trinidad and Tobago awaiting their return to this country. So said Labour Minister Errol McLeod as he delivered the feature address at the 2014 annual review meeting of the programme, which was held at the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann’s, last week Monday. The programme was “conceived as a remedial initiative to alleviate the dearth of available and reliable labour during short-term peak season in the agricultural industry in Canada”. This country’s “offer of its services as a supply country of migrant seasonal workers in 1967, its inaugural year, not only assisted in alleviating this shortage, but it provided alternative employment opportunities to the nationals of Trinidad and Tobago”. After 47 years, the programme has “stood the test of time”, McLeod said, as he labelled it a “most successful cooperation programme”. The review meeting was held for the purpose of examining the programme’s progress, addressing challenges and determining the way forward, he said. “I am of the view that the rewards of this programme redound on several levels and that it contributes to the development of the Americas region,” he said. “There is reciprocal benefit to the economies of Canada and the Caribbean, seasonal opportunities for employment in conditions of decent work for Caribbean agricultural workers and for growth of Canadian enterprises,” McLeod said. The Trinidad and Tobago nationals who participated in the programme this year travelled to Ontario and Alberta, said the minister. He said the People’s Partnership Government is committed to promoting the programme and “to further enhance the bilateral relationship between public and private sectors”. “At a time when the global jobs deficit is estimated at 200 million, workplaces are being transformed and new skills are required, a sound programme which matches skills with job opportunities and promotes decent work, prosperity and entrepreneurship is indeed in the interest of us all,” he said. Those desirous of being considered and who have not yet applied still have the opportunity to be interviewed, up to tomorrow, at the Labour Ministry’s offices at Duke Street in Port of Spain; James Street in San Fernando; and Gulf City Mall at Lowlands in Tobago.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 13:31:41 +0000
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